Now, one hundred years later, while on a diplomatic mission for the United Federation of Planets, CaptainJean-Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise are snared in the aged Korgh’s trap—and thrust directly in the middle of an ancient conflict. But as CommanderWorf soon learns, Korgh may be after far bigger game than anyone imagines, confronting the Federation-Klingon alliance with a crisis unlike any it has ever seen!

As part of an attempt to gain the co-operation of the House of Kruge in negotiating the passage of both Khitomer Accords and Typhon Pact vessels through their space, the Enterprise has been assigned to escort the nobles of the house to a commemoration of the centenary of the Battle of Gamaral, presided over by Emperor Kahless. Following Kruge's death with no obvious heir, several relatives tried to claim leadership of the house. However, when a group of Kruge's old officers attempted to gain control of the house themselves, the relatives banded together to defeat them and have controlled the house together ever since.

Picard, Worf and Kahless soon learn however that the truth is less honourable: The nobles sent mercenaries to fight for them. The ceremony is interrupted by black-clad assassins who kill most of the family members and abduct Worf and Kahless. The sole survivor is secretly killed by Galdor, the house's gin'tak, who then reveals to the High Council that he is Korgh, Kruge's old protégé. He produces faked evidence that Kruge adopted him as his son and is made the head of the house. He immediately starts speaking out against the Federation.

Worf realises his captors, the Unsung, are the descendants of Kruge's old officers, who have inherited their ancestors' sentence of discommendation. They travel to their base planet in the Briar Patch where Kahless is treated as a slave. Worf, however, is respected as someone who was once discommended and allowed a certain amount of freedom. He finds the original leader of the officers, GeneralPotok, is now a blind prisoner. The Unsung are led by someone who appears to be Kruge but is actually Cross, a Betazoid con artist and member of the same circle as Ardra, who is working with Korgh.

La Forge discovers the remains of Kruge and Korgh's old bunker on Gamaral and Korgh pretends to have just found evidence of the Phantom Wing, a prototype cloaked ship developed by the House of Kruge, encouraging the Enterprise and Martok to pursue the Unsung. Cross, dressed as one of the Unsung, kills Kahless and transmits the recording. However, Riker spots a message planted by Worf and alerts the Enterprise.

As the Enterprise arrives at Thane, the Unsung begin to evacuate and Valandris, with whom Worf has established a rapport, warns him of bombs set up to kill the new arrivals. Worf manages to alert Picard and the away team are pulled out without loss of life but the Unsung escape and Korgh's involvement remains unknown. However, even Korgh is unaware that Cross used his holo-technology to kill Potok in Kahless' place, keeping the emperor alive for his own reasons.